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If you're flying in and out of Venice, let these 4 travel itineraries help you stick close and not waste precious vacation days commuting across the country.
I get it, you’re in Italy and excited to see the sights. That often means the canals of Venice, the museums in Florence, the history of Rome, and the beaches of the Amalfi. But, squeeze that all into a week and you’ll end up spending days of your trip just commuting.
If that sounds alright to you, you can stop reading here. I’m not here to rain on your already planned parade but I am here to shed a little more light on all the cool places you can visit in Italy, without stretching yourself thin. But for those that want to spend more time enjoying the country and less time sorting out the logistics, this is for you.
Keep in mind that all itineraries are imagined on a 7-day trip and are hopeful that you arrive early and leave late to give yourself time on those days as well.
Now, let's dive into 4 distinct itineraries for those arriving and departing from Venice Marco Polo Airport.
Short on time? Here's the quick guide:
Short on time? Here's the cheat sheet
Trying to plan your Italian trip without spending too much time commuting across the country? These 4 itineraries are built for those arriving to and departing from Venice. Choose between:
The Cosmopolitan Traveler: Verona + Riva del Garda + Venice
The Nature Lover: Prosecco Valley + The Dolomites + Venice
The Lesser-known Enthusiast: Trieste + Udine + Venice
The Foodie: Bologna + Venice
About us
We're Kat, from the US, & Raf, from Colombia. We've been traveling the world and living abroad for the past decade but now call Italy home.
Venice Travel Tips
Before I dig into the itineraries, there are some things that’ll be repetitive across all across options since Venice will still be your hub. So I don’t have to constantly say it, or gloss over it, let me start off with some helpful tips:
Venice Marco Polo Airport is not connected by train. To go to a different city from the airport, you’ll need to go from the airport to the train station, which takes about 15-30 minutes. There’s a bus or you can get a taxi. Ubers don’t exist.
To get via Venice’s airport and Venice itself, take a boat. You can take the public boats (vaporetti) or a private boat (often arranged by your hotel). This works either coming to the airport or leaving the airport. This makes way more sense than going by bus/taxi and then train.
Venice has 2 stain stations: Mestre, which is inland and the one you’ll want to use to connect to other cities, and Santa Lucia, which is on the island itself.
You cannot drive in Venice past the bus and train station, so if you get a car, that’s as far as you can go. The only way to travel further into the islands is on foot or by boat.
You’ll also notice that all of my itineraries have you ending in Venice, not starting there. That’s simply because it’s a bit of a pain to get to the airport and the easiest way to arrive is by boat, which works best from the islands. It makes more sense to go ahead and travel onward when you arrive (unless arriving incredibly late) and then save the stress the day of your outbound flight.
If you need a quick place to crash when you arrive or before you depart, for those pesky flight times that don’t work well with public transportation, I highly recommend the Annia Park Hotel. They provide a free shuttle but it’s also the only hotel that you can comfortably walk between the hotel and airport. I’ve stayed here before for a 6am flight and it was great.
Alright, let’s dig in.
Itinerary 1: The Cosmopolitan Traveler
Main stops: Verona + Riva del Garda + Venice
Day 1-3: Verona
Day 3-5: Riva del Garda
Day 5-7: Venice
This is for the person that enjoys charming, walkable cities, shopping, and an endless amount of restaurants and bars to choose from. All spots will leave you stopping for pictures at every corner and have you wrapped up in the romance of Italian architecture.
Verona
1-2 hour commute
The travel time from Venice to Verona is less than 1-hour by train. Of course, you’ll need to get to the train station in Venice first, but that’s a given no matter where you’re going.
The train station in Verona is pretty central. The few times I’ve visited, I’ve walked to the center from the station but if your bags are heavy and you want to take it easy, the bus station is connected to the train station. With Google Maps you can sort out the busses to take and can buy tickets before getting onboard. Otherwise, taxis are an option.
Just keep in mind that if you’re staying in the historic center, you’ll likely have to walk some as many streets are pedestrian-only. You’ll love this later when you don’t have to look out for cars!
Verona is my favorite city in Italy. There I said it. There really is just something so romantic and lively about it. It’s home to a lot of independent shops so it’s great for those, like Raf and me, who enjoy shopping. There’s endless amount of bars and restaurants to choose from and each corner is nicer than the next.
I won’t go into details on how to spend your 3-days in Verona so instead have these articles for you to review:
I love Lake Garda but there’s a huge difference between the north of the lake and the south. Most people head to the south since it’s just a 15-30 minute train ride from Verona (based on where exactly on the lake you go).
And while this certainly checks off my suggestion of not spending too much of your vacation time commuting, I highly suggest you head north instead. The extra effort is well worth it.
The “easiest” place to get to in the north is Riva del Garda. From Verona, you’ll take the train towards Trento and then hop on a quick bus to Riva. (More details on how to get here in the 3-day guide linked below). This will take about 1.5 hours. The other option would be to rent a car and drive there, but that’d still take a little over an hour.
I’d only suggest having a car if you’re visiting in the off season when the ferry isn’t running. Otherwise, take public transportation and really on the ferry or a bike to get around. The views are way better than the traffic you’d face in the summer!
Riva del Garda is home to incredible nature but the city itself is still chic enough that people looking for some class will enjoy. You can bathe yourself in luxury at one of the lake-front boutique hotels or opt for somewhere chill that gives you a free bike to explore (that’s the route I went and loved exploring one two-wheels).
These guides will help you plan your time in Riva with ease:
The commute from Riva del Garda to Venice will be the longest travel day yet but still shouldn’t be so worrisome. If on public transportation, you’ll need to take the bus from Riva back to either Roverto or Mori (depending on the train schedule), then the train directly to Verona. From Verona a transfer to Venice should be super easy - just be sure to go to Santa Lucia station.
You can’t use Venice as your hub and not see the place itself. Venice really is a marvel and deserves more time than just a quick day trip.
Trust me, the difference between walking over Rialto Bridge to St. Mark’s Square and back isn’t nearly as enjoyable as getting lost in the alleyways and seeing more than just the main sights.
Venice is all in the details. With just a few days to hang out here, I’d recommend sticking to the main island and letting yourself wander without a cause. Fill yourself on cicchetti and try and traverse as much as you can on foot. Trust me, Venice is bigger than you might realize once you start walking it end-to-end. Just note that there are only 3 bridges that cross the Canal Grande so you’ll either need to make it to one of those or hop on a vaporetto to cross.
For more details on how to fill your time in Venice, check out:
Main stops: Prosecco Valley + The Dolomites + Venice
Day 1-2-Prosecco Valley
Day 2-5: The Dolomites
Day 5-7: Venice
My fellow nature lovers, this itinerary is for you. Since Venice is located in Northern Italy, you’re not so far from the mighty Dolomites. While not as famous as the neighboring Alps, these peaks are far more dramatic and sure to leave you in awe.
A key to this itinerary is renting your own car as public transportation to vineyards and farther into the mountains isn’t as reliable.
Prosecco Valley
1 hour
While most turn to Tuscany for their wineries, if you’re a Prosecco person like I am, the Prosecco Valley will be way more to your liking.
The Prosecco Valley is located in the lower highlands, just when the hills start sprouting up at the base of the Dolomites. It’s conveniently located between right in between some of the best peaks and Venice itself.
The epicenter of the Prosecco vineyards is in Valdobbiadene but you’ll find great options all around this area. Based on your budget and if you just want a stunning place to ease into your trip or are looking more to learn about the wine process, you’ll find plenty of options by searching around that town.
I’d recommend one night here to give yourself more time in the mountains but if you’re more driven by slow days and roving hills, you might want to extend your stay.
The Dolomites
1-2 hours
Based on where exactly you go in this mountain range, the drive will be between 1-2 hours. The Dolomites stretch between Belluno in the south, Austria in the north, and Bolzano in the west, and while they don’t cover a lot of ground in the grand scheme of things, there are countless mountain peaks squeezed into the area.
For a trip that gets you farther from the crowds but still around great mountains, I’d suggest Alleghe or San Cassiano. For the most iconic views, you’ll want to be closer to Cortina, Corvara, or Sesto.
Something to keep in mind when hiking or biking the Dolomites is that almost all trails have a refugio (mountain hut) somewhere on them. I’ve seen a few specific trails blow up on social media because they claim to be the only one with a refugio, and that’s just not true. Most do - but to be sure you can search that word on Google Maps. They always offer some drinks or snacks. Some also offer full meals and a place to stay the night. Just note these are only open in around June-September, and again in the winter if they’re on the slopes.
If you can’t handle a big excursion, in the winter and summer you can take ski lifts to the top of those that are on slopes. This gives you a chance to enjoy the fresh air and mountain scenery even if the trail itself is too much to take on.
Here’s some more info on how to spend your time in the Dolomites:
Refer to the details outlined above for the Venice section of your trip.
Itinerary 3: The Lesser-Known Enthusiast
Main stops: Trieste + Udine + Venice
Day 1-3: Trieste
Day 3: Udine + Cividale del Friuli
Day 4-7: Venice + Surrounding Islands
This itinerary is more for those that don’t need to see the biggest sights and are good with exploring lesser-known places. For this one, you’ll head into Friuli-Venezia Giulia, one of the not-so-visited regions of Italy.
Trieste
2 hours
If you’ve been around here for at least a few weeks, you know we used to live in Trieste. We had never even heard of it before Raf accepted the job offer there 3 years ago but man are we glad we took that leap of faith.
Snuggled closer to Slovenia and Croatia than to the rest of Italy, Trieste feels like completely it’s own city. Although growing in popularity, it’s still a relatively unknown destination.
I’d suggest taking the train to Trieste and only renting a car while there is completely necessary as parking is a true nightmare. The only reason you’ll need a car while there is if you want to venture into Slovenia and/or Croatia or you’ve heard me gushing about osmize and want to try a few out for yourself.
Otherwise, you can explore the city easily on-foot or with the bus. There’s also a public ferry that runs in the summer to the coast and across the bay to Grado.
There’s no lack of information about how to spend your time in Trieste on site. Here’s a little round up:
From Trieste, hop on the train north to Udine for the day before continuing on to Venice. While you could decide to spend the night in Udine or the surrounding wine region there, the city is small enough to be covered in a few hours.
Just know that Udine takes it’s afternoon nap seriously so most places will close between lunch and dinner, even shops.
Udine is super pretty and a city I highly doubt most people have heard of. It has a little bit of Verona’s romanticism to it and looks more like that city and it’s neighbor, Trieste.
If you have the extra time, Cividale del Friuli is just next door and while super small, it’s so stunning. It’s been recognized as one of the most beautiful villages of Italy and I can fully vouch for that award.
Refer to the details outlined above for the Venice section of your trip.
The only thing that’d I suggest adding to this one is a stop or an overnight stay at one Venice’s surrounding islands. While places like Murano and Burano are really quite popular for day trips, they’re ghost towns at night.
My mom and I stayed a few nights in Murano on one of her trips here and we loved it after hours. There was something really special about traversing it with few others around that made us like it much more than how busy it got during the day. The same can be said about Burano.
If these islands seem a bit too popular for you, you can switch it up and take your day trip to Treviso. This is a fancy yet small city that sits just north of Venice and really is quite pretty (plus it’s the home of tiramisù so you know you won’t go hungry).
Itinerary 4: The Foodie
Main stops: Bologna + Venice
Day 1-4: Bologna
Day 4-7: Venice
Last but certainly not least is the itinerary for those who came to Italy to eat.
Bologna
1.5-2 hours
Bologna is reigning food capital of Italy and for Italians to agree on this, it really says something. While the city is pretty grungy and doesn’t quite offer that romantic Italian feel you might be dreaming of, it’s not without it’s charm.
You just have to know what you’re getting yourself into. It’s brick more than stucco and offers more graffiti than flower-covered walls.
But the food, oh the food. This is where many of the most famous Italian dishes came from and to eat them from the source is really something special. Lasagna, ragù, mortadella, Prosciutto, Parmesan, and others you likely don’t know but will soon fall in love with await.
Since you have 4 days in Bologna, you can also use the extra time to make some day trips. Modena is just about 30 minutes away by train and Parma is about an hour, with Reggio Emilia nestled between the two.
Refer to the details outlined above for the Venice section of your trip. For your extra day in Venice, take some time to visit Treviso and try tiramisù where it was created.
Which Venice Itinerary Will You Choose?
By either grabbing one these or using it as a starting point, I’m hoping you got some good ideas on how to build your Italian trip starting and ending from Venice, without feeling the need to fly or train it to the other end of the country.
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